I didn't die in California. Promise.

So yeah. I've been back for like 2 weeks or a week and a half. Or something. I can't be bothered to do the actual math. I also haven't written a post since before I left for California and don't even think about making me do THAT math. I may just eat your head.

I am so close to quitting blogging. And let me tell you...it's not for any dramatic reasons. I just don't want to do it anymore. I never want to write. It's become this albatross that I keep out of guilt, because quitting is such a loser move. But DUDE I just don't wannaaaa (she said in her whiniest voice)! Who knows? Maybe I've outgrown the blog. Or maybe I'm just burned out. Whatever.

Anywayyyyy. I'm not quitting yet. Just kind of leaning there.

I don't really want to write about my trip. There were good moments and there were some rough ass moments. Needless to say, I missed Portland and, while it was so good to see my friends and family who I missed so much, it was really great to come home too.

Here are some highlights:

Shooting an engagement session for my cousin and her fiance, two of my favorite people on the planet. It went really well (I was VERY nervous) and as soon as the film is developed (I shot some on 120), I'll share those photos with ya.

My dad: Hey, you look like you lost weight!
Me: No, I actually gained weight, but thank you.
My dad: See? I know how to talk to women.

Getting to meet Shnerfle, probably one of my best blogging friends and I'm so happy to call her my real life friend. There were hugs and squees and happy making. You can see some of her photos from our visit on her photo stream.

The weirdest karaoke experience on the planet. They record you singing, replay it for the whole bar on many, many TV screens after you're done thus solidifying your humiliation, and give you a DVD to take home. I've been contemplating sharing my humiliation here, but haven't decided yet.

Picture it: we're driving a mountain road. To our right, sheer cliff. To our left, the other lane and the a steep wall of rock. We come around a curve and this deer runs down the rock wall and straight toward my car. I am able to stop before hitting him, but he keeps coming straight at us and gets pretty damn close to my car before veering to my left and keeps on running. It was probably one of the scariest, coolest, and awesome experiences I've had. I've never been that close to a deer, for one. Two, how scary for both the deer and us! Three, what the hell happened to that deer? Did someone else hit it? Did he keep running to freedom? We'll never know.

Getting home alive because Hot Pants and I didn't kill each other, though I'm sure we came close.

I have no idea why I make crazy faces. I really don't. It's my default.

Here are a handful of the hundreds of photos I took: